Hawaii" sends 6 Hawaii keiki -- to the "Asian- Pacific Children's Convention." Here to tell us more -- is "Ed Hawkins," the President of the Japan-America Society of Hawaii... and one of the Junior Ambassadors sent to the convention in 2008 -- "Jae-Sun Brown." What is the Asian-Pacific Children's Convention? The APCC was founded in 1988 during the Centennial Anniversary of the city of Fukuoka. Since then, and for the past 26 years, nearly 40 countries, regions and sister cities of Fukuoka have sent delegates to Fukuoka to participate in a 5 day Global Camp and also a home stay with a Japanese host family. This is a free program for the participants - funded in large part by the APCC, a non -profit organization in Japan, and the Japanese government. The goal or mission of the APCC is to foster young children to become Global World Leaders and to help shape the world we all live in to be a better place. By 2018, the APCC aspires to be recognized as a leading worldwide network to nurture young Global Bridge Leaders as well as a large-scale multi-cultural exchange organization How is the Japan-America Society of Hawaii involved? JASH selects and trains the six 11- year old Junior Ambassadors who represent Hawaii at the APCC each year. The application will be available in December and can be found on-line at www.jashawaii.org. Interviews are held in February and once the six are selected training workshops are held monthly until the trip in July to Fukuoka. For more information visit our website at www.jashawaii.org or call the JASH office at 524-4450. What was/is Jae-Sun's role as a Peace Ambassador? Jae-Sun was a Junior Ambassador in 2008. Peace Ambassadors are former Junior Ambassadors who apply and are selected to return to the APCC to share their Bridge Club activities with other Peace Ambassadors from around the world at the APCC Convention in Fukuoka. Bridge Club Hawaii was established in 2008, and since then has been a great contributor to Hawaii by organizing and participating in community service events to better our society. A few of these community service events include an annual Waikiki Beach Cleanup in June with JASH members; serving as volunteers for the Mochitsuki festival and Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii New Year's Festival; cleaning of various lo'i in Kaneohe and Haleiwa; and partnering with the JASH organized Rainbow For Japan Kids program to meet Japanese students brought to Hawaii who have been affected by the Tohoku disaster in 2011. The Peace Ambassador program nurtures youth as Global Bridge Leaders who link our world and act as change agents in today's global community. This year's conference had 29 total PAs, and aimed to foster leaders with a global perspective who will shape the world in the future; to build a network of "Global Citizens" free from religious, political and economic restrictions; and to expand this network across the world, establish a circle of friendship and work towards creating a peaceful society.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tuesday that a proposed agreement between world powers and Iran was "a bad deal" that would not stop Tehran from getting nuclear weapons -- but would rather pave its way to getting lots of them and lea...